When teachers know and understand their content area, they are able to focus their time and energy fully on teaching the material to their students, as opposed to first learning the material then attempting to teach.  Teachers will be able to add extension activities that further supplement the lesson being taught.  In addition, teachers will be able to explain the material multiple different ways; if a student does not understand the concept after the first explanation, the teacher should be able to explain it in a different way.

    Included in this standard is the sub-point that states, “Teachers understand the relationship of knowledge within the discipline to other content areas.”  It is important for teachers to not only understand their own content area, but be able to connect with other content areas in their classroom as well.  There must be steady communication between teachers from different content areas in the same school building.  Cross-curricular lessons keep students engaged from one classroom to the next; students are able to connect ideas from each content area.  When learning about a central topic in multiple classes, there is a smooth flow of information throughout the day that the students are learning.

    With the level of mathematics education I have reached, I feel that I will be able to explain any problem fully to my students.  My goal of this standard is to always be in contact with teachers of different contents in my school system.  I want to be able to apply math to lessons that are being taught in an english, history, or science class.  I want to show my students the real-world applications of math in topics that they are learning about every day in their other classes.